The words poured from her lips and pierced my heart:

"God doesn't owe me salvation. The question isn't 'Why didn't God save everyone?' but rather "Why did God save me?" The answer is grace. The response is gratitude." - R. C. Sproul, as quoted by Angie Smith.

I looked around the dark room at the thirty other women seated around me to see if anyone else seemed to be as affected by these words as me. I had heard them before - I grew up as a missionary kid - but that night God struck me with the realization that I had grown accustomed to His grace.

I had lost my sense of awe and wonder that He picked me.

In the midst of folding clothes and browning taco meat, wiping little bottoms and making beds, I had somehow grown used to the idea that God saved me.

Grace had become commonplace, as if God owed me.

But in His love, He whispered that those words were for me to hear that night.

He didn't have to pick me.

But He did.

God loved me enough to reach down into the pit and save me from destruction, and that's reason enough to celebrate every day of my life.

I love how the Contemporary English Version gives us this rendition of a well-known verse:

You have rescued me! I will celebrate and shout, singing praises to you with all my heart. Psalm 71:23

God is worthy of our celebration, our praising, our shouting, and our dancing. We were created to glorify Him in the first place, and what better way to do that then to keep celebrating what He's done, what He's doing, and what He promised to do.

Of all people, Christians have the most reasons to celebrate. But too often, we don't. If we want to live a life of celebration, we need to remember what God did:

• Where were we before He rescued us?

• What did life look like?

• How was our outlook on the future?

• And then, what did God do?

• How did He show grace and mercy toward us?

• How does He continue to shower grace over our lives?

• What does He promise to do in the future?

As a friend of mine says, "If we don't remember, we forget." And I don't want to forget. I want to remember His rescue and celebrate it each day! (Because life is more fun when you're having a party, is it not?)

Go ahead and thank God for rescuing you. I'll do a happy dance with you and say "Praise God!"

Editor's note: This article was originally published on One Thing Alone. It has been modified and republished here with permission.